Till Death Do Us Part
by TheFifthHalliwellDaughter
Summary: "If only they'd had time on Earth; a lifetime together to grow old, to have a family, to love each other." How do you keep it together when everything you know is changing?
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Mourners walked from the grave, their cheeks stained with tears and their hearts full of sorrow. A young, dark-haired woman walked slowly in the opposite direction. Her head was bowed and her body trembled as she gently laid two roses atop the mahogany coffin. She stood there, in the cool spring morning for what seemed like an eternity but could only have been a matter of minutes. One hand rested on the coffin, the other on her heart. She clutched at her chest, breathing deeply. Pain radiated throughout her entire body but it wasn't physical. It was an emotional hurt that no medicine, doctor or Whitelighter could heal; only time. If only they'd had time on Earth; a lifetime together to grow old, to have a family, to love each other. They'd been robbed of a life of true love and happiness. The universe had brought them together only to wrench them apart far too soon. How could someone learn to live without their soul mate? The woman turned, and followed the last of the mourners through the cemetery gates. She glanced over her shoulder and took one last look at the distant headstone and the coffin which would soon be buried beneath it.  
"I love you," she whispered with tears falling freely from her beautiful green eyes as she read those fated words one last time.

_**Here lies Andrew Trudeau**_

_**March 31**__**st**__**, 1970 ~ May 26**__**th**__**, 1999**_


	2. Chapter 2: One Month Later

Prue's hands shook as she looked herself in the mirror.

"I'm pregnant…" she whispered, trying to make it feel more real. Her head swirled as she ran her hands instinctively over her still flat stomach. A baby was the last thing on Prue's mind. With everything that had happened in the past year or so, she'd started to think she'd never be able to have a family. She looked around, fighting back tears of shock. The perfectly tiled bathroom seemed so ordered, so clean; it was nothing like Prue's life at the moment. Her stomach was filled with mix of nervousness and love, and a few other emotions she couldn't quite place. No wait, there it was, nausea. She lifted the toilet seat and resigned herself to what life would be like for the next few months.

"Prue are you okay?" asked her youngest sister caringly as she exited the bathroom. "You look like you've seen a ghost… wait, have you seen a ghost!" Phoebe put a hand on Prue's back and led her to the kitchen where their other sister was making breakfast. Upon seeing Prue's pale face, Piper brought over a cup of coffee. Prue thanked her and sat down at the table. She traced the knots of the wood table with her fingers, avoiding eye contact with her sisters who had now joined her. How did she explain this to them when she didn't fully understand it herself? Piper broke the silence.

"We can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong. Let me see, demon or personal related?"

"Personal," Prue mumbled, looking up to meet her sister's gaze.

"Okay," Phoebe joined in. "Is it Andy? We know you miss him, honey."

At the mention of his name Prue let out a gasp. She'd done all she could not to think about him this past month. It just hurt too much. And yet here she was carrying what would be a constant reminder of the man she loved. The man she loved more than anything, but had never had the time to show him, and now he was gone and it was all her fault. Nobody blamed Prue for Andy's death; nobody but Prue herself. She could not come to terms with the idea that she'd not been powerful enough to save him. She was Prue, the eldest Charmed One, and she'd just let him die. What use were all these powers if they couldn't save the ones you loved?

Prue drew in a breath, "I'm pregnant."

"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed both her sisters at once, barely hiding their excitement at becoming aunts. It was an excitement which Prue didn't share.

"Oh honey, Andy would want you to be happy. He'd be ecstatic at the news and I'm sure he's watching over the both of you joyfully right now," Piper assured her, grabbing her sister's hands and squeezing them tight. Prue nodded slightly.

"I know. It's just, how can I bring a baby into my life right now? Emotionally I'm a wreck, and my life is so dangerous that it gets the people I loved killed! I just can't bring a baby into a world of demons and warlocks where it would never be safe! If I couldn't protect Andy, what hope do I have of protecting my innocent little baby?" Prue finally stopped to take a breath, and Phoebe jumped in before she could get herself any more worked up.

"Prudence, stop. Andy's death was not your fault. And you've protected Piper and me better than anyone could in this past year. If it wasn't for you, we'd both be dead by now. You're strong enough to keep this baby safe, I know it. But you won't be alone. You don't think Piper and I would ever turn our backs on you or any children you may have, do you? We'll protect them – all three of us. And if the power of three isn't enough, then I don't know what is!"

"Exactly," Piper agreed, still holding tightly onto Prue. "I'll be damned if I'm going to let magic stop me, or either of you two from living a 'normal' life. There is nothing in the rulebook that says witches can't have children. If there was, we wouldn't be here. It won't be easy, but when is anything in our lives ever easy? Leo and I managed, or do manage, or whatever. Melinda is proof of that!" She relinquished her grip on Prue and thought back to the trip they'd recently taken to the future. A trip where she and Leo had a young daughter named Melinda. "Your baby will be safe with us."

"We promise."

Prue braved a smile. She drank her now lukewarm coffee in silence while Piper and Phoebe tried without success to engage her in distracting conversation. Her head was still filled with so many doubts that she could barely concentrate on what her sisters were saying. Admitting defeat, Piper and Phoebe stopped talking altogether and they sat in silence. There was nothing more they could say that would make Prue feel any better. She needed to wrap her head around things on her own. Though they would have stayed by Prue all day if they could, Piper had a lot to do at the new club, P3, and Phoebe had a class that stared in half an hour. They got up from the table and kissed their eldest sister on the top of the head. They exchanged goodbyes as they hurried out the door.

Now alone in the kitchen, Prue placed a hand on her stomach. Was it just Prue, or did the yellow walls seem darker than they had yesterday? She thought of the days ahead and somehow they seemed to be no lighter. Prue was used to having all the answers, but right now nothing made sense. She loved her baby the minute she knew of its existence, but she'd learnt the hard way that love was not enough to keep people from dying. Her mother, Grams, Andy… if she lost one more person she didn't think her heart could take it. A piece of her died with each of them and she wasn't even sure if there was enough of her left to carry on anymore. This baby would be a part of herself, and Andy; a living, breathing piece of them both. She knew that she could never forgive herself if anything happened. It would be like losing Andy all over again, but a thousand times worse. She prayed to God that her sisters were right, that they could protect the baby from all harm.

The rest of the day passed in a daze, and before long Piper and Phoebe were came bursting through the front door. They told Prue all about their day and she listened politely, slightly more talkative then she'd been this morning. Piper cooked a delicious dinner and forced Prue to eat it, arguing that she had to think about the health of two people right now. Once they were done and the dishes had been cleaned up they retired to the couch to watch television. Phoebe even let Prue have control of the remote. She lay with her head in Piper's lap, flicking through the channel. Piper ran her fingers gently through Prue's hair. Piper was the maternal one of the family. Prue may have been the eldest, and took charge of most situations, but Piper had a calming, motherly demeanour that neither she nor Phoebe could match. Emotionally exhausted she began to doze off to sleep right there, her younger sister still playing with her hair. Phoebe grabbed a blanket from upstairs and laid it over Prue. Piper slid out from beneath Prue's head and tiptoed towards the stairs, followed by Phoebe. Prue was barely conscious when she whispered something that made both girls stop.

"What if I'm a bad mum?"

Phoebe and Piper looked at each other and shook their heads. They'd deal with that absurd idea tomorrow. And with that, they flicked off the light and headed to bed themselves.


	3. Chapter 3: The Morning After

Phoebe stumbled out of the room the next morning to find the bathroom door locked. From inside she could hear the sound of someone being sick.

"Prue?"

A few moments later the lock clicked and the door swung open. Before Phoebe could enter the bathroom, Prue ran back to the toilet and threw her head over the bowl all over again. Phoebe rubbed her back while she continued to vomit. Finally Prue flushed the toilet and walked over to the sink to rinse her face.

"This sucks, Phoebs," she said seriously. Phoebe stifled a giggle and tried to keep her face sympathetic.

"It's not funny!" Prue demanded. Phoebe couldn't hold it anymore and burst out laughing. Her stomach churned but soon even Prue dissolved into fits of giggles.

"Everything always looks better in the morning, hey Prue?" said Phoebe, gasping for air. With smiles on their faces they ran to their sister's room and jumped onto Piper's bed. Piper had been enjoying a nice sleep in since it was a Saturday morning, but not anymore.

"For the love of all that is sacred, let me sleeeeeep!" she whined.

"Nope, I'm declaring this a demon free day," started Phoebe.

"And we're celebrating," Prue finished.

They pulled the covers off of Piper and began to tickle her until she got up.

"Okay, okay! I'm up!" she surrendered, grabbing her dressing gown that was hanging off the end of the bed.

Less than an hour later they were sitting at a little café in the centre of town eating breakfast. Prue still felt slightly queasy, but at least she'd managed to stay out of the bathroom the whole time they'd been there. It was a clear, sunny day in San Francisco and a warm breeze brushed the girls' cheeks.

"Perfect day to be alive," mused Piper, pushing her hair behind her ears. It was a bit of a habit she had.

"Yeah, it is," Prue sighed, half in agreement and half thinking how unfair it was that some people didn't get to enjoy this day, yet she did.

"Oh shit, sorry Prue! Damn it, I just didn't even think."

"No, it's okay Piper. I can't hide from everything that reminds me of Andy or death," Prue explained quietly, taking a bite out of her French toast. She waited until she'd swallowed, then continued, "besides you're right, it is a lovely day. So what shall we do?"

"Oh! Shopping! Can we go shopping please?" Phoebe exclaimed. Her suggestion did not surprise her sisters, nor did her enthusiasm – Phoebe loved shopping. They asked for the cheque and after the breakfast had been paid for, they head off in the direction of the shopping centre.

"My God these are nice," gasped Phoebe, turning over a pair of gold stilettos in her hands. She bent down to try them on.

"Yeah, that's what you said about the last five pairs you tried on," said Piper to Phoebe, who was now parading around in front of her two sisters.

"No, but these ones really are! I'll take them!" Phoebe exclaimed, slipping the shoes off of her feet and placing them back in the box.

"Good, now let's go," Piper urged, grabbing the shoe box from Phoebe and hurrying over to the counter. Despite her sister's best efforts to convert her, Piper was not a shopper.

Prue, meanwhile, was standing beside Phoebe but her eyes were focussed on the children's shoe section. Such adorable, cute shoes lined the wall in every colour imaginable. Some had bows while some had sparkles, some fastened with Velcro and others with a clip. They were all so tiny; it was hard to believe a baby's foot would be small enough to fit inside. Prue thought about her own child wearing these shoes. Mentally she picked out one purple pair for a little girl, and a smart looking brown pair for a young boy. She was brought out of her daydream by the sound of her name being called, and quickly ran off to join her sisters.

They stopped quickly for lunch, and then to Piper's dismay, continued shopping. One thing Prue and Phoebe shared was a love of fashion and a spot of retail therapy. They walked through the shopping centre until they reached a shop called 'Tot Trends' which sold baby clothes.

"Can we go in?" begged Phoebe, grabbing Prue by the wrist and attempting to drag her to the entrance.

"I don't know, Phoebe," said Prue, standing her ground. "I mean, I've got a long time left to buy baby clothes. I haven't even seen the doctor yet!"

"Oh come on, Prue," pushed Piper. Finally this was a store she had a mild interest in, and since it was not for her, surely Phoebe couldn't spend two hours in here like she had the shoe store. They headed towards the back wall to where the newborn clothes were displayed. They 'oooh-ed' and 'awwww-ed' over the sweetest little outfits. They pulled outfit after outfit off the racks and handed the ones they all agreed upon over to Prue. Before long she had a handful of baby clothes and had to pry her sisters away from the shelf before they persuaded her to buy the entire store. They payed for the clothes at the checkout and finally headed home.

They piled into the Manor's living room, exhausted and examined their loot. Phoebe had bags and bags of shoes and clothes, Piper had bought a picture frame that had been on sale and Prue had a gorgeous black dress and the baby clothes.

"I want to show off what I've got while I've still got it," was Prue's justification for purchasing the dress. She laid the baby clothes out onto her lap. There was an adorable yellow onesie and a t-shirt with a dinosaur on it which she had picked. Then Phoebe had insisted on buying this gorgeous denim skirt with red and white polka trim. She'd argued that if Prue didn't have a girl, then they could save it for the next baby born into the family. Piper had chosen a set of overalls that read 'My mom's the greatest'. Prue especially liked this one, it was like Piper had heard the worry in her mind and was trying to tell her she wouldn't be a bad mother. Watching Prue fold the clothes back up and put back into the bag, Piper felt a wave of jealousy come over her. Ever since the girls had seen their future played out before them, Piper had just accepted that she'd be the first of them to have kids. And yet it seemed Prue had beaten her to it. Prue had basically stolen that from her and she was jealous. She had no right to be, she and Leo weren't even together anymore but all the same, it didn't feel right. It felt like she was watching her favourite movie, but the ending was different. Or like she was travelling down a road she knew well, but all the street signs had changed. She felt horrible about it, but she just couldn't shake this feeling of loss. She'd lost Leo, and now she'd lost their future together too. She wished her sisters goodnight, and went to bed feeling unexplainably lonely.

Upstairs in her room, Piper unbuttoned her brown blouse and pulled on a nightshirt. She brushed her long hair back into a ponytail as she walked over to the bathroom. She passed Prue's room and felt an odd sense of being watched. She ducked her head around the door to have a look, but there was no one there. She turned to look behind her but saw only empty hallway. Brushing it off as nothing, she continued to get ready for bed. Once she'd finally returned to her own room she turned off the lights and curled up beneath the covers. As she drifted off to sleep, she was sure she saw a blue glow emanating from the hallway but it disappeared so fast she couldn't be entirely sure it wasn't just a figment of her imagination.

"Leo?" she called hopefully but nobody answered.


	4. Chapter 4: An Unexpected Visitor

It had been three weeks since finding out she was pregnant and Prue awoke each morning to what was becoming a familiar feeling of sickness, and spent the first ten minutes of the day with her head over the toilet bowl. Coming down the stairs she heard a man's voice that she recognised. She was contemplating going back to bed and hiding out in her room all day when Phoebe spotted her. Prue walked downstairs and came face to face with the one person she had never expected to see when she'd awoken that morning – her father.

"Victor," she said, extending her hand for a handshake.

"Prudie," he replied, accepting her hand but pulling her into a bear hug. She wriggled free after just a few seconds of contact.

"Dad, it's Prue. I haven't been Prudie since I was eight years old. Not that you'd know – you haven't been around since then either," she told him rather coldly.

The Charmed Ones' father had left when they were young. He was a mortal and had found it hard to deal with his daughters' magic and not being able to protect them from danger. Piper and Phoebe had since forgiven him for leaving, but Prue was still burdened by her anger. She was older when it had happened, and had felt the abandonment more. Victor had been absent from their lives for twenty years before he returned just after they'd received their powers. That was over a year ago and he'd disappeared again just as quickly as he'd arrived. Prue couldn't imagine why he'd be here now and she certainly didn't want him around.

Piper brought out a plate of biscuits from the kitchen and motioned for them all to sit in the living room. She took a seat on the couch with Phoebe and Victor, while Prue perched coldly on the edge of the coffee table. Prue glared at Victor with her hands crossed.

"Why are you here?" she asked, practically spitting the words at him.

"I heard I was going to be a Grandpa. Congratulations, Sweetheart."

With that Prue shot a glance at her youngest sister. Piper caught on to what this meant.

"Phoebs, you've been in contact with Dad all this time?" she asked, sounding just a little hurt.

"Um, yeah," Phoebe nodded, avoiding her sisters' gazes. "I'd lost Dad once, I wasn't about to do it again. I'm so sorry, Prue. I didn't mean to tell him – it just kind of slipped out.

"You had no right to tell him. It's not your news to tell!" Prue said angrily. She kicked the couch with her foot narrowly avoiding Victor's leg.

"Your aim is a little off, Prudence. Try again," he said calmly. He grabbed her hand and held tight as she tried to pull away. "Now how is Andy? Is he excited about the baby?" Prue wrenched her hands from Victor's grip and stood up. Her eyes glistened with tears.

"Oh, so that part you didn't tell him. Pretended we were playing happy families, did you? Witches don't get to have happy families. You of all people should know that!"

Instinctively, Piper jumped up to comfort her sister. Phoebe turned to Victor.

"Dad, Andy's dead. He was killed by a demon about two months ago. I didn't tell you because I usually try to not say anything about Prue's life. It's her decision whether she wants to let you in. I just slipped up by telling you about the baby," she explained, more so for Prue's sake than Victor's. Victor looked confused.

"But I could have sworn I saw Andy leaving as I arrived this morning. It must have been somebody else. Prudence, I'm so sorry. This must be so hard on you." He stood and moved closer to Prue. She would have backed away had Piper not been holding onto her arm. Victor hugged his eldest daughter. Hot tears fell onto his shoulder. Prue didn't hug back but she didn't try to fight him either.

"I'm sorry I left you without a father. I'm sorry I taught you that fathers never stay. And I'm sorry that came true for your baby. If I could change any of that, I would," he whispered into her ear. Prue sniffled and for just a brief second, hugged him back before dropping her hands and wriggling out of his grip.

"I should be going. I'll keep in touch this time – I promise." Victor said. "I'll show myself out." He grabbed Piper and Phoebe in a bear hug then walked towards the front door.

Silence engulfed the living room for the next few minutes. Tears still fell down Prue's face. Piper felt torn between her role as the peacekeeper and wanting to be mad at Phoebe for keeping her contact with Victor a secret. Phoebe felt incredibly guilty about everything.

"I'm sorry," said Phoebe quietly, breaking the silence. "I should have told you I was keeping in touch with Dad, Piper. And I shouldn't have told Dad anything about you, Prue. I screwed up, again, I know."

Prue's expression softened a little. Phoebe's heart had been in the right place. She'd only told Victor about Prue's pregnancy because she was excited to share such good news. And she'd probably kept the fact that she was in contact with him a secret because she was afraid her sisters might try to stop her. Prue had always assumed that since she didn't want to know her father that Piper and Phoebe didn't either. Obviously, that wasn't true.

"Phoebe, I know you meant well. And I would have told Victor about the baby eventually. But I just thought the first person I told, besides you two, would be Andy." The admission surprised even Prue. She'd tried very hard to put Andy out of her mind. She avoided the cemetery at all costs, even taking the long way to work.

"Oh honey, he knows. Of course he knows," Phoebe reassured her, taking a seat on the couch and patting the cushion next to her. Prue sat down there and Piper took a seat on the other side of Phoebe.

"I just thought telling him would make it easier. Like everything would make more sense if he just knew. You know, like a weight would be lifted off of my shoulders. I just haven't had the courage to go and visit his grave yet.

"We'll go with you, if you want. I'll drive." Piper offered.

"We could go this afternoon," suggested Phoebe.

"Victor saw someone leaving the house today and it couldn't have been Andy. Should we be worried about demons?" Prue asked in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"I don't know," Phoebe said uncertainly. "I guess we just keep a stronger eye out. But we were talking about you, missy. It's a weekend; let's go to the cemetery after lunch."

Piper parked the Jeep in front of the big green gates of the cemetery. They looked tall and menacing to Prue, who was finding it difficult to find the strength to get out of the car. Phoebe kissed her cheek and squeezed her hand in a sign of support. Piper pointed out where Andy's grave was; Prue had been too distraught at the funeral to remember. Prue opened the car door and slid out. He knees felt shaky as she walked towards the gates. She bit her nails nervously as she passed row upon row of gravestones. Some were weathered and old while some were brand new with flowers placed upon them. Prue wondered whether anybody had visited Andy's grave yet. She desperately hoped so. He didn't deserve to be lonely just because she'd been too scared to come see him. She held her breath as she neared Andy's grave. The two roses she'd left at his funeral lay wilted on the ground in front of his headstone. She knelt down and picked them up, letting out the breath she'd been holding.

"Andy…" her voice sounded small and far away. She cleared her throat. Her fingers traced the inscription on the headstone as she tried to figure out what to say. "I don't know if you're here, or if you can hear me. I don't know how to say this. I guess I just come right out and say it. I'm pregnant." Her hands cupped her stomach which bulged ever so slightly. "I don't know how I'll do this without you. I don't want to do this without you. But I promise our child will know how amazing their Daddy was. They'll know all about you. I love you, Andy." She stood up and brushed the grass off of her knees. She was suddenly aware cheeks were wet with tears. Dabbing her eyes she stood and shifted her weight from side to side. She'd been so scared to come to the cemetery yet now she couldn't seem to tell her feet to leave. Forcing one foot in front of the other, she walked towards the car. As she reached the gates, she could have sworn she felt warm breath against her neck, as a familiar voice whispered her name. She turned but there was nothing there but the summer breeze.


	5. Chapter 5: Maternal Matters

"Piper!" called Prue one morning in an urgent tone. Piper appeared in Prue's bedroom doorway in seconds flat, her hands up ready to use her powers. She was followed close behind by Phoebe. Both girls were still in pyjamas and had bed hair.

"My jeans won't do up," Prue whined, sticking her bottom lip out and pouting. Piper threw her hands into the air and Phoebe groaned.

"What? I'm late for work and I have nothing to wear." Prue explained seriously. Piper shook her head.

"What about these?" Phoebe asked, holding up a pair of dark wash jeans. "You always used to complain about how they were too big on you."

"I was wearing them when Andy died," Prue responded, as if that explained everything. Rationally it didn't, but her sisters understood.

"You can borrow a pair of my pants," Piper offered. "But next time, let's save the panicked yelling for demon attacks, okay?"

Prue dashed into Piper's room and started pulling clothes out of her cupboard until she found a pair of smart black trousers that fit. She hastily pulled them on and then dashed out the door. Looking at the pile of clothes Prue had left on the floor, Piper sighed, but before she could pick them up the doorbell rang.

Standing outside was the cute guy named Dan who lived next door. Piper instantly regretted answering the door in her dressing gown.  
"Sorry," she mumbled, motioning to her attire.

"Oh no, it's 8:30 in the morning, pyjamas are pretty much mandatory unless you're leaving the house," he replied with a smile. Piper noticed how perfect his smile was; it made her insides feel fluttery and her cheeks feel flushed.

"The mailman gave me some of your mail by mistake," he continued, "just wanted to drop it off before I took Jenny to school. Thought it might be important." Piper thanked him and took the crisp, white envelopes from his hand. Their gaze met for a second before Piper looked away, muttered goodbye and then rushed back inside. Once on the other side of the door, she slumped against it and ran her hands through her hair. Dan was a good guy, perfect even, but he wasn't perfect for her. She had secrets she could never tell him. And even if she could, it wouldn't be fair to make a move on him when every flash of blue she saw had her hoping Leo had returned.

"Who was at the door?" asked Phoebe, appearing at the top of the stairs. Piper startled and pretended to be focussed on sorting the mail.

"Oh no one, just Dan" she said absentmindedly, still shuffling the mail in her hands.

"That poor guy is so into you. That's the third time this week he's made up an excuse to come see you." Phoebe teased. Piper waved the envelopes in the air.

"Okay, but yesterday he was asking if we'd seen his cat. I don't even think he has a cat! Go for it girl, you deserve some happiness." Phoebe turned on her heels and headed towards for the shower. Piper was glad to have that conversation over with.

It was mid-afternoon and Piper was reading in the lounge room when the phone rang. Jumping up from her seat she answered and instantly recognised her older sister's voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey Piper, I forgot to ask you this morning but can you and Phoebs come with me to my ultrasound appointment this afternoon? I would've asked sooner but I've just been so forgetful lately."  
Piper assured her that there was nothing they'd like more than to be there. After finding out the time of the appointment, she hung up and called Phoebe to let her know. Phoebe was over the moon about the idea of getting to see the baby for the first time, and it made Piper feel awful that she didn't have the same reaction. She felt the same wave of jealousy and sadness wash over her all over again.

Prue rode the elevator up to the obstetrics ward, which was on the third floor. Her head was flooded with thoughts. She was about to see her baby for the first time. She was nervous and excited, but most of all she wished Andy could be there with her. She'd been thinking about him a lot lately, ever since she'd visited his grave. It still hurt but at least she wasn't hiding from the pain anymore and every day it got a little easier. Prue supposed it must have been true what they say: time does heal all wounds and she had to endure the painful healing process for the sake of her baby. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Prue found herself in a small waiting room, with dusky pinks walls and a row of white cushioned seats. At the far end of the room was a desk. Behind it sat a man with blonde hair and dark glasses. He was wearing a badge pinned to his shirt that read "Brad".

"Ah, Prue," he said, looking up as she approached.

"Yes?" she replied, slightly confused as to how he knew her name.  
"It's on your chart," Brad mentioned in response to her questioning expression. "I just took a guess that you were here for the 5 o'clock appointment. You're a little early so feel free to take a seat over here and I'll call you when the doctor's ready." He smiled warmly and personally escorted Prue over to the seats against the opposite wall. Prue followed him and couldn't shake the feeling that she knew him from somewhere. It was his walk – it just seemed familiar. She barely had time to think about it before Phoebe and Piper arrived. They sat down beside her and chatted about their day. It wasn't long before Brad was calling Prue's name. The three sisters followed him down a short hallway where he ushered them into a small room on their left.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Elisabeth Walker. But please, call me Libby. And you must be Prudence," She said, extending her hand towards Prue.

"Call me Prue," Prue confirmed. "And these are my sisters, Piper and Phoebe." They both briefly shook hands with the doctor.

"Okay, well how about we get you up on the bed so we can take a look at this baby!" said Libby as she patted the bed beside her. Prue did as she was told and gently rolled up her shirt, exposing her swollen midriff. Libby spread the cool gel onto Prue's lower abdomen.

"You can come closer," Libby encourages, beckoning to Phoebe and Piper who still stood nearer to the door. "You won't be in the way, and you'll have a better look at the screen from over here!" Prue looked at her sisters, her eyes pleading for them to move closer. She didn't want to do this alone. She wanted them there for such an important moment. Phoebe was by her side in an instant, holding Prue's hand. Piper hesitated, looking like she was torn. Between what, Prue didn't know.

"Piper?" She asked. Piper moved slowly towards her and stood beside her head. Prue knew the look on Piper's face – she was trying not to cry. Phoebe had noticed too, and put her free arm around Piper.

"Now let's see if we can hear this baby's heartbeat!" Libby excitedly interrupted the silence, blissfully ignorant of the emotions going on around her. She pressed the handheld device to Prue's stomach and moved it around. It wasn't long before the sound of the baby's heartbeat filled the room. Tears sprang to Prue's eyes as soon as she heard it. It was fast, sounding a bit like a train but Libby explained that that was normal. She proceeded to point out the baby on the monitor.

"What a little cutie!" Phoebe exclaimed, her eyes also glistening with tears. She squeezed Prue's hand and looked at her with a smile that reached from ear to ear.

"Everything looks good for eleven weeks," explained Libby confidently. "I'll just get a good picture for you and we're done here!" Prue felt Piper stroke her hair. Letting out a sigh of relief she let her tears spill over and run into her hairline.

The three sisters left the doctor's office minutes later, Prue clutching a picture of the baby.

"You weren't going to leave without showing me your gorgeous baby, were you?" Brad called from his seat behind the desk. Prue walked over to the desk and handed him the black and white image.

"You have one beautiful baby, Prue," he told her, examining the photo closely. "He or she will definitely grow up to be a heartbreaker."  
"Thank you. I bet you say that to all the mothers though," laughed Prue.

"No, only when it's true." Brad handed back the photo, looking almost like a proud father. He said goodbye to the three girls and went back to his computer.

"What was that all about, Missy?" pried Phoebe playfully as they took the elevator down to the ground floor.  
"Nothing," Prue answered, "what do you mean?"

"I mean he was obviously flirting with you! Duh!" They stepped out of the elevator and crossed the foyer, exiting out into the dazzling late afternoon sunlight.

"No he wasn't!" Prue objected. "And if he was, I'm definitely not ready to move on yet."

"I know," Phoebe assured her. "But I haven't had a guy flirt with me in forever! Yet my pregnant sister manages to pick up without even trying."  
"Hey! I resent that! I am still a highly desirable woman, thank you very much." Prue said, jokingly punching Phoebe in the arm.

"And Piper here," Phoebe continued, "She's got two guys. Leo and cute next door neighbour, Dan."

"In case you haven't noticed, Leo's gone!" Piper snapped. "And Dan, well he just isn't…"  
"Isn't Leo," Phoebe finished, her face serious now.

They had reached the cars. Prue suggested Piper ride with her while Phoebe drove the Jeep home. Piper didn't fight it and climbed into the passenger seat beside Prue.

"Care to tell me what that was all about, Kiddo?" Prue asked tenderly as she turned out of the car park behind Phoebe in the Jeep.

"I'm fine." Piper lied, keeping her eyes fixed on the road.

"I'm your older sister, Piper, you can't fool me. Something's upset you – what's wrong?"

Piper sighed, and began to explain her feelings, knowing full well that Prue may hate her by the time she'd finished talking.

"It's just hard, watching you go through this pregnancy, when I thought I was going to be the first to have kids. In the future, Leo and I had Melinda and all of a sudden, the idea of children was real to me. I love her so much, and she doesn't even exist yet. And I haven't heard from Leo for months, so it looks like I'll never get to see my baby girl again. I don't know if you can mourn what you never actually had, but I think I am."

"Piper, look at me," Prue said slowly. "You miss Leo, I know. But doesn't the fact that you were together in the future give you hope that he'll return? I'm sorry this is hard for you but it's hard for me too! At least you and Leo are together in the future; at least your daughter had a dad!" She was shouting now.

"We were divorced," Piper whispered. She was crying. "And our sister was killed in the future. Doesn't that make you doubt that the future is set in stone?"

"I don't know! But I do know one thing that isn't changing: Andy is dead. He's never coming back and he'll never meet his beautiful baby! Have you tried tracking down Leo? Maybe that's what future Piper did; she probably did something about it instead of crying about it."  
"He's a Whitelighter, Prue," Piper said, a little stronger than before. "There's no way to find him. The only records of his existence are from over fifty years ago and among them is a death certificate stating that he died in World War Two!" By then they were turning into the manor's driveway. Prue turned off the ignition and went inside without saying a word, leaving Piper to follow, drying her eyes as she walked. Both girls barely uttered a word to Phoebe and headed straight upstairs to their rooms. Phoebe groaned. She wasn't used to Prue and Piper fighting and she didn't know which one to comfort first. Meanwhile, upstairs, both girls felt absolutely miserable about the things they'd said.


	6. Chapter 6: Demons and Healings

Tensions were high in the Halliwell household over the next few days. Prue went to work during the day, and Piper spent almost every night at P3. Usually they relished the precious, demon-free hours they spent together in the manor, but lately they preferred to hide from each other in their rooms. Phoebe felt torn between her sisters. She's always been _in_ the fights, never the peace keeper. She came downstairs one night once Piper had already left for the club to find Prue lying on the couch reading a book called 'Parenting 101'.

"What are you reading that for?" Phoebe asked, perching herself on the armchair of the couch. "You already know what you're doing - you practically raised Piper and me."  
Prue closed the book and let out a slight chuckle. "True, and after you, a tiny baby should be no trouble."  
Phoebe pretended to be hurt by this. "Hey! I turned out alright, if I do say so myself!"  
"That's debatable" Prue joked. "Maybe I should be worried about my parenting abilities?" Phoebe poked out her tongue and Prue giggled.

"You know I love, you right?" Phoebe asked her older sister.

"Yes, and why do I feel a 'but' coming?" Prue answered curiously, sitting up.

Phoebe slid onto the now empty cushion beside her. "But I hate it when you and Piper fight. Honestly, what is with you two? You've barely spoken in days."  
Prue sighed. It was true. The most in-depth conversation she'd had with Piper had been asking if she could pass the gravy at dinner the night before. She was still mad at Piper but she could see how Piper could be hurting. Never in a million years had she wanted to hurt her baby sister. Piper would come around, but she needed time. She needed time to come to terms with losing Leo, and maybe even Melinda, just like Prue needed time to adjust to life without Andy. And sitting beside her was her youngest sister, caught in the middle of it all. She deserved the truth, and so Prue began to explain exactly what had been said during the fight on the way home from her doctor's appointment.

"You two are so stubborn," Phoebe mused after hearing the whole story. "You're obviously sorry, and I know Piper's feeling guilty too. Why don't you just talk about it? There can only be one strained relationship in this sisterhood, Prue, and that's yours and mine."  
Prue grabbed Phoebe in a vice-like grip and pulled her close, whispering in her ear how much she loved her, even if she was the screw-up sister.

Phoebe hugged back. "You too, sis."

The following morning was a Saturday, meaning Prue and Piper would find it much harder to hide from each other. Prue wanted to make up with Piper, even tried talking to her over breakfast, but Piper seemed yet to have calmed down. So in the interest of not making matters worse, Prue withdrew to the attic and busied herself by sorting through their old baby things that lay in storage up there.

"DEMON!" yelled Prue from the attic alarmingly. Piper and Phoebe instantly dismissed what they were doing and raced up the stairs two at a time. They found Prue hiding behind an old couch. The demon was against the wall, where Prue had thrown him just moments before. He was big, almost twice the size of a normal man. And he had dark grey, scaly skin and hands like claws. Scorch marks littered the room. The demon had gotten to his feet and was about to throw another fireball right at Phoebe and Piper. They dove behind the couch, narrowly avoiding getting hit. Piper peered out from behind the couch and quickly froze the demon, before he could conjure yet another fireball.

"Any ideas?" She asked nervously "because he isn't going to stay frozen for long."

Before they could stop her, Prue dashed out from behind the couch to grab the Book of Shadows. She had almost made it back when the demon unfroze. He launched himself at her, pushing her to the ground. Struggling to her feet, she tossed the book behind the couch and sent an old lamp crashing into the demon's head. Phoebe was furiously thumbing through the pages of the book, while Piper refroze the demon.

"I've got it!" Phoebe shrieked. "The Power-seeking Demon… oh my God, he's after Prue's baby! They feed off of the power of unborn witches, and absorb their powers."  
"But my baby doesn't have any powers!" Prue cried, shielding her stomach instinctively.  
Piper shook her head. "Of course the baby has powers, Prue. They're just dormant. How do we vanquish him, Phoebe?"  
Phoebe skimmed the page quickly. "We can't. It has to be Prue." Prue's eyes widened with fear.

"No, there has to be another way!" Piper cried, "It's too dangerous!"

"No Piper, it's okay. Phoebe, what's the spell?" It was the only way. She took the book from Phoebe's hands and read the words quietly a few times over, memorising them. After placing the book on the floor, she stepped out from behind the couch. Phoebe and Piper stood in front of her protectively. With perfect timing, the demon unfroze. He swiped at Phoebe and sent her flying across the room. She fell to the ground, unconscious. In return, Prue sent him crashing into the wall, buying herself some time to recite the spell.

_The great power which you seek,_

_You shall not steal from the meek._

_I banish you to the depths of hell,_

_You cannot hurt my baby Halliwell._

The demon roared in pain, and as he met his demise, threw a final fireball towards Piper and Prue. Prue threw Piper out of the way and bore the full impact herself. She slumped to the ground.

"No!" Piper screamed, hurrying to her side. She cradled Prue's head in her lap. Prue's face was warm and sticky with blood. Piper glanced across at Phoebe. She wasn't bleeding and she was still breathing. _Thank God,_ Piper thought. As she held her dying sister in her arms, she cursed the Elders who had forbidden her relationship with Leo. She needed him here now. She'd always need him; she loved him. Yet the Elders had gone and taken him away, leaving The Charmed Ones unprotected. And now Prue was going to pay the ultimate price. Prue was unconscious and shaking. Her blood had stained Piper's clothes a dark red. There was too much blood. Piper would've given anything for just the power to heal at that moment.

"LEO!" she called in hopeless anguish. Her whole body shuddered as she sobbed. "Damn it Leo, you get back here right now. You have to save her! You have to save her." Her tears engulfed her and she let out a cry of despair. Suddenly, as if her prayers had been answered, a blue swirling light filled the room. She looked up and was met by the very last person she'd expected to see.

"Andy!" She sobbed with confusion.

He nodded. "I'm a Whitelighter now. But the Elders have forbid me to show myself to Prue, at least not yet. You can't tell her. Or Phoebe. Just give her this for me please." He hurriedly took a small silver rattle from his pocket. It was old, as if it may have belonged to him as a baby. Piper sniffled and took it from him. She nodded – a silent promise to honour his wishes. She'd do anything if it would just save Prue and the baby. Andy lovingly cupped his hands to Prue's wounds and a warm glow emanated from them. The blood disappeared from her face and she took a deep breath inwards.  
"Oh Prue," Piper cried, pulling her close to her chest. _Thank_ you, she whispered silently to Andy who had vanished from the room before Prue could see him.


End file.
